House Republicans blunt ‘blue wave’ hopes as Democrats falter in fundraising

Nearly a year out from the midterms, House Republicans are touting a notable fundraising edge that could help the party maintain House control in 2026.

For the first time since 2015, the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, has outraised its Democratic counterpart in the first three quarters of an election cycle. Though midterm elections tend to go poorly for the party in power, lackluster fundraising for Democrats and a relatively poor performance on the generic ballot show the party in a weaker position than in previous election cycles.

The NRCC has reported roughly $720,000 more in year-to-date fundraising than the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

In stark contrast, the DCCC held nearly a $9 million advantage after the first three fundraising quarters of 2017. Democrats would go on to win 41 seats in the 2018 midterms and reclaim control of the House.

In the first three fundraising quarters of 2025, the NRCC reported a $20 million uptick in contributions compared to the same period in 2017. The House Republican campaign arm also has $7.5 million more in the bank at the end of September 2025 than it had in September 2017.

“The numbers don’t lie: House Republicans have the momentum, the message, and the money while Democrats are broke, divided, and out of gas,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement.

Though the DCCC reported slightly more in Q3 receipts than the NRCC’s $24 million haul, House Democrats’ campaign arm has reported less in year-to-date fundraising in 2025 compared to the last cycle in 2023. The DCCC had a $23 million edge over the NRCC at the end of September that year.

Republicans have also maintained a financial edge among their most vulnerable incumbents compared to their Democratic counterparts.

House Republicans on the NRCC’s Patriot list — the party’s most endangered incumbents — raised an average of $763,000 in the third fundraising quarter, which runs from July to September.

Three NRCC Patriots, Reps. Young Kim of California, Mike Lawler of New York, and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, reported fundraising hauls over $1 million in the third quarter.

Vulnerable Republican incumbents also maintained a significant cash-on-hand advantage over their Democratic counterparts through the end of September.

The DCCC’s Frontliners — considered to be the most vulnerable Democrats running for reelection — reported an average fundraising haul of $664,000 during the year’s third fundraising quarter, according to the NRCC’s analysis. Four Democrats, including Maine Rep. Jared Golden, reported more than $1 million in receipts during the third quarter.

Democrats have also not been able to keep up their polling performance on the generic ballot compared to 2017.

Democrats hold just a 2.6-point lead on the RealClearPolitics polling average as of Friday. On Oct. 24, 2017, Democrats led Republicans in the generic ballot by 10.3 percentage points.

Democrats’ weaker performance in the generic ballot comes as the party’s approval rating has fallen to historic lows. A July Wall Street Journal poll found a net favorability rating of -30  for Democrats — the worst figure for the party since the pollster began asking the question in 1990.

Matt Bennett, co-founder of liberal think tank Third Way, argued Thursday that the Democratic Party’s weak approval rating signals the party could remain in dismal shape through the midterms.

“We’re in terrible shape. Like, we just have to be very honest with ourselves — the Democratic Party is in really, really bad shape,” Bennett told Halperin.

“We have not begun to address those problems,” Bennett continued. “I do think we will not be able to fully address them until we have a leader, and that won’t be for like three years, when we nominate somebody for president.”

The Republican National Committee (RNC) also continues to trounce its Democratic rival in fundraising and cash on hand. The RNC has $86 million in the bank compared to the DNC’s $12 million at the end of September — a $74 million gap.

The DNC notably doled out $1.6 million in September alone — and has paid out more than $20 millon in total — to cover former Vice President Kamala Harris’s leftover campaign debt from her failed presidential run.

 All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

Latest posts by Adam Pack (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.